• A diet rich in carbohydrates can fill muscles with glycogen, and glycogen is critical to optimal performance in soccer.
• Soccer player’s diets should include 8-10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight (2.2 pounds) or 3.5-4.5 grams per pound. Whole grain cereals and breads, fruits, vegetables, and pastas are good sources of carbohydrates.
• Refueling with carbohydrates should begin as soon as possible following a match or strenuous training session.

Dr. Kirkendall and colleagues and gave 400 ml (13.5 oz) of a 23% glucose-polymer drink or placebo before and at half-time of outdoor matches and showed that the carbohydrate supplement increased the overall running distance by 20%, with an incredible 40% increase in distance run at speed (cruise & sprint) during the second half.

• Not replacing fluids lost in sweat can lead to poor soccer performance and heat illness. Players should try to drink during training and matches so their body weight after play is within about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of their starting weight.
• Many people believe that providing adequate fluids to a soccer player during a match is an impossible challenge because the game consists of 90 minutes of non-stop running. The reality is that the ball is in play for only 60-70 minutes. There is plenty of time for drinking, such as when the ball goes out of bounds, is kicked over the goal, after a goal is scored, and during an injury stoppage. The wise team will place well-marked, colored containers of beverages for the individual players about every 15-20 meters along the sideline and in each goal.
• During light workouts, especially when the weather is cool, water can be an adequate fluid replacement but in hot weather a carbohydrate- electrolyte drink may be better.
• Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks (of the correct type) have been proven to be superior in the majority of soccer related studies. Compared to water alone, more water is taken up faster from the intestine into the blood when salt and carbohydrates are in the intestine. Glucose, sucrose, fructose, and maltodextrins (glucose polymers), are appropriate types of carbohydrates for inclusion in sports drinks.

There is no published scientific research supporting benefits from creatine supplementation for soccer players. From the positive results seen in a few reports, you have to be cautious extrapolating the results of "soccer-like" performance tests to performance in an actual match. Soccer players usually must achieve a speed that will allow them to control the ball; they rarely, if ever, reach top speed given the limited distance of a sprint in soccer. The focus should be on food and water and not some supplement that good research doesn't support.